Sales sizzle ahead of Spring Fest

Buyers demonstrate rising demand for diversified, personalized and niche overseas products; pay more attention to value of such items, Fan Feifei and Li Jiaying report.

Shopping for goods ahead of festive occasions has been a tradition in China, not only to gift immediate family members, but also for relatives and friends.

To celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, Zhang Ruifang, a white-collar worker in Beijing, bought some items recently — including Chilean cherries, Norwegian salmon, French red wine and New Zealand milk — for her parents.

These were all delivered to Zhang's home in just a few days.

"Cross-border online shopping is very convenient, and the commodities seem worth the price I paid for. I also like to buy all sorts of healthcare products for my friends," she said.

Zhang is not alone in such a pursuit.

Millions of Chinese consumers have exhibited strong purchasing power for imported and foreign-brand products ahead of the Spring Festival.

The festival, experts said, has become a key driver for upgraded consumption fueled by preferential policies such as lower tariffs and an expanded list of imported goods, alongside a gradual improvement in cross-border logistics.

According to a report released by Chinese e-commerce giant JD, people aged between 26 and 35 are the main consumers of imported commodities, accounting for 45 percent of buyers, while consumers in the 46-55 age group have contributed to the fastest growth in purchases of imported products.

Personal care products, cosmetics and skin care, food and beverages, as well as maternity and infant products are the categories most favored by Chinese consumers who purchase imported goods, the report said.

While residents living in first-tier cities have become the primary purchasers of imported products, consumers in small cities have also shown a growing interest in buying such commodities, it added.

JD Cross-Border, the cross-border import e-commerce arm of JD, has kicked off the shopping carnival for the Spring Festival. This has allowed Chinese consumers to select from a wide array of foreign goods across key categories such as electronics, beauty and skin care, apparel, luxuries, food and beverage, and local specialties via cross-border online marketplaces.

China has introduced preferential policies, such as lowering import taxes and expanding the range of goods allowed to be imported, along with the expansion of domestic demand and advancements in emerging retail technologies.

Industry insiders said it is undeniable that China's cross-border e-commerce sector has been growing exponentially over the past few years, as the nation's middle and high-income shoppers are inclined to buy diversified, personalized and niche commodities.